"Range" Author David Epstein on Talent, Trainability, and Why Constraints Build Better Athletes
About this episode
David Epstein joins Greg Olsen to discuss the science of athletic development and the importance of trainability over raw talent.
Bestselling author David Epstein joins Greg Olsen to discuss the science behind what actually drives long-term athletic development in young people. Drawing from his books The Sports Gene and Range — and previewing his upcoming release Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better — Epstein breaks down why trainability matters more than raw talent, how early specialization undermines the athletes it's meant to help, and the coaching methodology being adopted by Victor Wembanyama, Shohei Ohtani, and elite programs around the world. Greg and David also explore the research on reflective practice, why Norway's youth development model outperforms ours, and a phone study that should change how every parent thinks about homework time. Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/
People in this episode
Host: Greg Olsen
Guest: David Epstein
Topics covered
- athletic development
- trainability
- early specialization
- coaching methodology
- youth development
- reflective practice
Keywords
- athletic development
- trainability
- early specialization
- coaching methodology
- youth sports
- reflective practice
- Norway youth model
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Sports Gene, Range, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better
Places: Norway
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